A New Leaf
by Harbinger of Awesome
Summary: What do you do when you keep getting smacked around?  Switch sides, of course.  At least that's what you do when you're a couple of unlucky H.I.V.E.lings looking to change your future.
1. Chapter 1

Here is my first fic in a long while. Will eventually be Raven/Jinx pairing, among others. You have been warned. I've done my best with grammar and characterization, but if you see anything wrong, especially glaring errors, PLEASE let me know. And errors aside, reviews in general would be appreciated. Thanks for reading!

PS I hate the title, so most likely it will change in the new future. I'm open to suggestions, btw...

**A New Leaf**

Another day, another foiled robbery attempt. What had previously been the pride of HIVE, but had since become an embarrassment to the villain community, stumbled into their shared home.

Jinx, the de facto leader of their little group, paused in front of a weathered red leather couch before turning on her heel and falling heavily onto it. "Trounced..."

Gizmo followed right behind her, his trademark scowl firmly in place. "Scud munchin' Titans..." He rubbed his lower back gingerly. "Can't believe they took us out... again!"

Mammoth walked in next, dragging his feet. He forced a small smile. "But we aren't in jail. Good, yeah?"

"Shut it, Mammoth," Gizmo growled. "We got trashed. There isn't a bright side to this... this..." Giving up, Gizmo sat on the floor in front of the couch. "It's all just a cruddy pile of scuz... gunk... crap!"

Jinx couldn't help but grin slightly at his interesting way of expressing his dissatisfaction with the mission, but it didn't last long. She couldn't deny that this looked to be their future. Success with the small hits, the ones that didn't even make a blip on the radar, but the second they tried to do anything big... boom. Failure. Every... damn... time.

"You guys ever think we, I dunno, checked the wrong box on career day? I mean, there's gotta be something better than this out there." Jinx kicked off her boots, not bothering to care where they landed. "Nothing I wanted out of this whole gig has panned out," she furrowed her brow, then turned to her companions. "What did you guys want out of this? This whole mercenary thing... or hell, life in general?"

"Easy," answered Gizmo first. "Money." Jinx raised an eyebrow. "More money, more tech. Think of the lab I could have with enough swill suckin' resources." He then turned to glare at their 20" television. Though they had pretty much every gaming system and entertainment resource at their disposal, those being relatively easy to sneak off with, big-screen T.V.s were just a bit too large to steal on the down low. "And we might be able to enjoy a movie night for once."

Mammoth scratched his head, looking pensive. "Well, I don't do too good at school, but I'm real good at smashing things. Plus this is what my sister does, so..." he trailed off, looking like he was working way too hard at thinking. "I don't know what else I can do. I'm not good with much stuff _besides_ school, either. Just smashing."

Jinx sat up, turning to Gizmo first. "You know, the Titans have a huge amount of tech. All bought and paid for by the city, no jail time required. And the biggest T.V. I've seen outside of a Best Buy. They even have a sweeter car than we do."

"Jinx, we don't have a car," Mammoth shrugged.

"Kinda the point I was trying to make, big guy."

"Oh..."

"I'm just saying, maybe they've got the right idea."

Gizmo glared at his friend, for the first time questioning her leadership. "If you're suggesting joining up with those snot brains, then I-"

Jinx waved dismissively at him, "Don't be ridiculous. I'm just thinking out loud here. But," she leaned forward, elbows on knees, and looked Gizmo in the eyes, "maybe we've been playing this all wrong. Who's to say we can't play on the side of the angels for once? As our own squad, not some sort of superhero daycare group. What if we could have what they have?"

"Yeah, but-"

"And Mammoth, how would you like to smash, smash to your heart's content, and not get tossed in a cell for it?"

"That would be a good change."

"Jinx, you're talking crazy. First off, there's already the Titans. The city's not gonna pay for a whole 'nother group. And second, well... who's gonna believe us, huh? _If _we decide to go straight, _if_ we decide to 'denounce our wicked ways' and all that junk, _if_ we somehow manage to find funding, who's gonna give us a second chance? It's all snot." Gizmo crossed his arms across his chest, grimace still in place, but Jinx was glad that he was at least weighing the option instead of just dismissing it out of hand. Mammoth would be easy to sway, but Gizmo would be a much harder sell.

Jinx slid off the couch to sit beside her tiny teammate. "Look, Giz... if I can figure this out, if I can find a way to make it work, are you with me?" She held his gaze, knowing he wasn't big on 'touchy-feely girl crap', as he put it, but trying make him realize that this was their best chance. "I won't do it without you guys. I _can't_ do it without you guys."

"Jinx..." Gizmo finally broke eye contact to look at Mammoth, who was as enthralled with their conversation as he was with Wrestlemania, obviously waiting for his reply. "Is it your time of the month of something?"

"Giz!" Jinx punched him in the shoulder, just hard enough to topple him.

"Fine. If you can make this stupid idea work... I guess I'm in."

"Yes!" Jinx jumped up, throwing her arms in the air in victory. She skipped to Mammoth and grabbed him in a tight hug. "We're gonna do it! We're gonna be something. Something awesome. I just have to think of a way to get it."

She pirouetted, flipped over the couch, then nailed a perfect landing on the other side, a wide smile splitting her face. "Night, guys!" Before she could make it to her bedroom, Mammoth interrupted her celebratory dance.

"Wait, why did _you_ become a merc?"

"Eh..." Jinx didn't bother turning around, but her shoulders slumped. "I wanted... respect."

Nothing else was spoken between them as they made their ways to their respective bedrooms, each one with a lot to think about.

**The following morning:**

"_Ask_? That's your big fancy plan? _Ask_?"

"Ask _nicely_," Jinx corrected him, grinning.

Since Gizmo seemed to be preoccupied with trying to rid himself of a migraine, judging by how he was rubbing his temples, Mammoth decided to comment.

"You think asking-"

"Asking _nicely_."

"-would actually work? No offense or nothin', but how hard didja get hit yesterday?"

Jinx groaned and dropped her head on table. She had spent the previous night and early morning formulating her genius plan, and they weren't even letting her explain past step one. Standing, she forced a smile, her sharp canines glinting briefly.

"Guys, give me a chance, will ya? We've got luck on our side-"

"Yeah, _bad_ luck..."

"- and a solid plan in place. If you'd just _listen_, you'd see that it could work."

Sighing, Gizmo leaned back in his chair. He'd been friends with Jinx for long enough to be able to read her fairly easily, and the look of desperate earnestness on her face made it obvious how much this meant to her. For his friend, he would comply. "Fine. Get on with it."


	2. Chapter 2

Jinx shifted nervously in her seat. Phase one was all up to her, and she'd only get one shot to get it right. Her future, her friends' future, depended on this meeting. The implications of what she was about to attempt, to essentially go back on everything she'd ever been taught, everyone she'd ever aided or been aided by, the magnitude of the entire situation set her foot to tapping furiously.

She'd gotten Gizmo to hack into the District Attorney's online schedule and arrange for a meeting. He'd said something about a school paper interview story, but she was much too preoccupied to worry about things like _details_. The only thing she had been concerned about was getting in the door, and thanks to the holographic projector Giz had rigged up for her, hiding her more obvious meta-human traits, she was almost there. She glanced at her watch, then at the closed office door. '_Just a few more minutes, Jinx... we can do this.' _

Finally, the door swung open and a middle aged man with thick, salt and pepper hair stepped out into the waiting area. He smiled and seemed to be perfectly relaxed, a fact which annoyed Jinx more than she cared to admit. '_I'm sittin' here crawlin' outta my skin, and he just strolls on in here like it's any other day... though I guess to him it is. For now._' She returned his smile with a tight grin of her own.

"Right this way, Miss...?"

"Just call me Mark."

His grin faltered for barely a moment before he recovered. "Okay, eh, Mark. You can call me Roger. So, where do you attend school?"

'_Here goes..._'

"Alright, here's the deal," Jinx leaned forward, placing her elbows on his desk and clasping her hands. "I don't actually _attend_ school. So there actually isn't a paper for us to interview for. I just needed to talk to you." His broad smile fell once more, but this time it didn't pop back up. '_Crap, better cut to the chase before he gets any crazy ideas about callin' in the cops or somethin'. Can't have that. Least, not yet._'

"It's not what you think, it's a legitimate opportunity for you. Seriously!"

"Look, miss, if this is some sort of bizarre bribery attem-"

"No, not like that. Just hear me out." Jinx let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding before flicking the switch to turn off the image inducer that had previously been hiding her true identity. It took less than a second for the image to flicker off, and Jinx was left sitting in all of her pink-haired, cat-eyed glory.

Roger let out a high-pitched and undignified "Shit!" before throwing himself back into his chair almost hard enough to knock it over. Luckily, he managed to (just barely) keep it upright.

"You... I recognize you. You're one of those, those H.I.V.E. kids, aren't you? Look, I don't know what you want from me, or why you're here, but I'll tell you right now that I don't, I _won't_ negotiate with terrorists." His false bravado was easily given away by the trembling that accompanied his declaration, and his flinch when Jinx stood up further highlighted his terrified state. Jinx had to give him a bit of credit, though. Even in the face of fear, he was trying to be as brave as he was able.

"It's not like that, not really. What I came here to discuss is more of a," Jinx paused, considering her words, "favor. Not a demand. A proposition, if you will, that could benefit everyone involved." She found herself holding her breath once more and willed herself to breathe normally. She was heartened to realize that he seemed to be calming down a bit, not too much, but at least he wasn't barreling toward blind panic any longer.

After about a half minute, which felt like an eternity to both parties, he finally spoke. "Okay. I'm listening."

Jinx smiled her first real smile at that point, her relief being too great to even try hiding, and Roger was momentarily stunned to realize that, outside of her crazy hair, peculiar eyes, and the sharp canines that he had to admit were very off-putting, that she looked very much like a normal kid. A pale, gangly, gaudily dressed kid, but normal.

Jinx stood and began pacing the small confines of the office, "Me and my group, see, we want out of the whole thieving business. And we're prepared to quit, cold turkey. But as you can imagine, that leaves us in bit of a predicament. A quandary, if you will." She clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head up, grinning. She'd been up for half of the previous night with a dictionary and thesaurus at her side, trying to make her plea sound as intelligent as possible and trying to plan for any contingency. The H.I.V.E. hadn't prepared them too very well in speech-writing or public speaking, so she was quite proud of herself for managing to prepare a half-way decent sounding speech (though after it carried over into conversation, Gizmo did threaten to destroy every pair of boots she owned if she didn't start talking normal again). She cleared her throat before turning to Roger, "That's where you come in."

"I don't follow."

"See, we've gotta make a living somehow. If we're not stealin' an' fencin' merch, or takin' contracts or whatever, how exactly are we going to pay the bills? Then I started thinking, the Titans have a pretty good thing going, amiright?"

Roger frowned. "You... want to join the Teen Titans?"

"No, no, not at all. _No_. Just... blech." Roger almost chuckled at her expression of obvious disgust at that suggestion, but managed to clamp it down. "What I'm suggesting is, I dunno, maybe _supplementing_ the Toddler Titans. I mean, they can't possibly handle _all_ of the crime in this fair city, and your little suburban cop squad isn't equipped to handle the more, eh, overpowered of the threats. So why not bring in another group. Like, for the sake of argument, my group."

"Even if I did agree to something like that," he shook his head, "the city just doesn't have the resources to fund another group. And even if we _did_ have the resources, I'm not the one you'd have to go through." He was worried that his answer would set her off, but to his surprise she just smiled back at him. He realized she must've anticipated his answer, and became curious as to just what exactly she was getting at.

"Ah, but that's just the thing." She pulled a few folded papers out of her pocket and handed them over. They listed names and photos of criminals from the city's Most Wanted database, and listed a reward amount beside each name. "We could just do a whole pay-per-villain thing. Like, commission or something."

Roger considered her idea. It was plausible and had its merits, but he still wasn't sure where he fit in. "Looks like you've got it all figured out. I still don't understand why you're coming to me with this though."

"Warrants, Roger. Warrants." His obvious confusion prompted her to explain. "Ya see, while me and my team have turned over a new leaf, our pasts are still there, taunting us." She clawed the air in what he could only assume was an imitation of her past. She leaned over to point at the unfolded papers Roger was holding, finding her own picture in the mix, as well as those of her teammates. "The second I try to turn in one of the _real_ bad guys, I'll get my own butt thrown in the can. So you can see the problem." Roger was beginning to understand where this was going.

"You want me to wipe the slate clean?"

"Exactly!" Jinx's grin threatened to take over the majority of her face-

"And if I say no?"

-before it promptly dropped off completely. "Huh?"

"If I say no, what're you going to do? Beat me until I agree? Threaten the city until we're forced to accept?"

Jinx sighed and dropped back into the chair. "If you say no, I leave. That's it."

Roger closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, weighing what she'd said. He was expecting a relatively easy day, free of courtroom drama and politicking. What he wasn't expecting was one of the city's most notorious criminals offering to help clean up the streets. He fully realized that it could be some sort of ploy, some plot whose purpose he couldn't even begin to guess at, but the girl in front of him seemed sincere.

If she was honest about her and her team's desire to reform, then it would be great for the city. If she was lying about the whole thing then the most that could happen is... nothing. A return to status quo. Roger had seen plenty of repeat offenders stuck in what seemed to be the revolving door of the legal system, but he'd known a few that had managed to turn their lives around as well. It was easy to become jaded in his line of work, but the ultimate reason he had gotten into law was to help people. And here he was presented an opportunity to do just that.

He finally looked up to see that the girl was still staring at him, a look of hope plastered on her face that almost broke his heart. Sighing, he pulled up the police database on his computer.

Name: Unknown

Alias: Jinx

Birthdate: Unknown

Warning: Meta classification

Power - Active: "Hex bolts", a control over

probability that usually results in "bad luck" to

whatever or whomever she targets

Power – Passive: Superhuman agility, heightened strength

Distinguishing characteristics: Pink hair, pink eyes

Tattoos: None

Birthmarks: None

Use extreme caution when approaching.

He scrolled down, scanning her list of offenses.

"You have, uh, quite a history with JCPD, it seems."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"In fact, it looks like you're wanted for questioning on a B and E and burglary from, eh, two days ago."

"_Attempted_ burglary," Jinx started, before catching herself. "I mean, I don't know anything about that."

"Right."

"I never claimed to be a girl scout, I'm just looking for a second chance. I'm still a minor, right? All that junk'll be kicked offa my record eventually anyways. I just want to speed things on along."

He pulled up the police files for her two accomplices as well, before exhaling loudly. "That is one of the things working in your favor, yes. Your status as a juvenile... same with your associate Mikron."

"He prefers Gizmo."

"Baran, er, Mammoth rather... he just turned 19. It might not be so easy to get his record expunged."

Jinx frowned. "Sorry, no dice. It's all or nothing. I'm not gonna just -"

"I didn't say I couldn't do it. I just said it would be tricky."

"So what _are_ you saying?"

"I'm saying I'll see what I can do." Jinx jumped up, her grin back in full force, but Roger cut off her celebration. "It isn't a decision I can make unilaterally."

"Uni-wha?"

"I mean it's not just up to me." Jinx's expression fell. "But- and I'm sticking my neck out for you here, I just want you to know that- I can pull in a few favors. I'll figure something out."

"Yes!"

"I can't promise you anything."

"Yeah, yeah, but you'll try? Really try? You're not just jerkin' me around?"

"I promise. I don't know how long this might take, but if you leave me your phone number I can-"

"How dumb do I look? I give you my number, you trace it back to our location, and boom! You might think I'm stupid, but I've had enough experience with the system, not to mention about a million hours watching CSI, that I know how this crap works. You're lookin' to double cross, obviously, and I'm not one to get trapped that easily."

Jinx's glare had the ability to bring much more powerful men to their knees, but Roger had managed to see past her cocky front. She had dropped her facade just enough for him to see that there very well may be someone in there who had done bad things in her past, but there was something vulnerable there, too. He had been involved in bringing down organizations like H.I.V.E. before, organizations that gave kids with no place else to go the closest thing they had to a home, and then warped those kids for their own sick interests. Many of those that had fallen prey to such manipulations were too messed up to come back from the edge they balanced precariously on, but he was hoping he might be able to save at least a few of them this time.

Roger looked hard at Jinx, trying to convey his sincerity. "You're going to have to trust me. I'm putting a lot of faith in you to stick to you word. A _lot_ of faith. I assure you, the last thing I want to do is stick a couple of down on their luck kids in prison. Especially if those kids are really trying to change."

"We're _not_ kids."

"Ah, of course." Roger barely managed to suppress a smirk, sure that it wouldn't go down very well. The more he talked to Jinx, the more she reminded him of his own headstrong daughter when she was younger. "My point remains though. Trust is a two way street, Mark."

Jinx grinned back at him. She realized that she was taking a huge risk, but was well aware that she couldn't do this without him. Finally, with a sigh and a dip of her shoulders, she agreed.

XXXXXXXXXX

"_Dammit_, Jinx!" Gizmo was stomping around the living room and gesticulating wildly, the amount of noise he was making a lot louder than his size would imply. "You put us all at risk... the cops could come storming through the door any flippin' second!"

Mammoth glanced at the door in question, then back at his roommates. He snickered, then grabbed a bag of popcorn and settled in enjoy the fight. It was gearing up to be a doozy.

"I did what I had to do. You said you'd give me chance, so just, ya know, wait."

"No, I _don't_ want to wait! That wasn't the agreement. Giving our location to the scud lickin' cops wasn't ever part of the plan." Gizmo was progressively turning a more and more interesting shade of red with each word he spoke.

"I trust the guy. He said he wasn't going to turn us in. He seemed legit."

"Oh, well, goody. A lawyer promised that he wouldn't tell the cops where the criminals were hidden. Nice!"

"Gizmo, just freakin' trust me on this."

"Oh, yeah, like I trusted you the last dozen times we got out butts kicked? Maybe it's about time someone else took over the leadership role, huh? Couldn't do any _worse_ at it."

Gizmo realized his mistake about a split second too late. Jinx had gone silent, but her eyes were beginning to glow that lovely shade of pink that just promised retribution.

"Really, Giz? You wanna take me on?"

"Uh..."

"I'm ready when you are, tiny."

"Hey!"

Mammoth's bellowing laughter took them both off guard, just enough to pull them off the brink of battle. "Aw, naw, come on! It was just getting good."

Jinx threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine, if you want to leave, go. I'm not gonna try to stop you."

"Whatever. I may hate your stupid plan, but I won't bail. You guys couldn't even set up the DVD player without my help." Jinx pulled the unsuspecting boy into a hug before he could dodge. "Ach, get offa me!"

"I knew you couldn't leave us, hah!"

"Crud munchin'..."

-RING-

All three froze and turned to look toward the phone.

-RING-

"Uh... someone gonna get that?" Gizmo looked to Jinx,who looked more afraid than anything.

"I-"

-RING-

"Yeah, okay, sure. This is what we were waiting for." Jinx barked a nervous cackle, a sharp biting noise that neither of her teammates had ever heard from her before. Apparently she wasn't as sure of her plan as she let on.

"Hello?"

"Hello, this is District Attorney Roger Scalion. Jinx?"

"Yeah?"

"Good. I just wanted to let you know it's done."

"Done?"

"There are some stipulations, of course. You and your team are basically on a form of parole. You commit another crime and all of your past crimes are back on the table."

"I figured as much."

"You will have to submit to weekly drug tests."

"Not a problem."

"And each of you will be assigned someone to oversee your progress. Like a parole officer, but since this is a bit unconventional, I've decided to keep this out of the system."

"So who exactly are we talking about here?"

"Hear me out. I have a feeling you're not going to like this, but it's the only way I could convince the Mayor."

"The Mayor? Really? The _Mayor_ knows who I am, hehn? Must've made an impression."

"Something like that. Regardless, she wouldn't give her approval unless, well, unless the Teen Titans were in charge of your parole."

"You have _got_ to be kidding me."

"Sorry. That was her only requirement."

"Oh, _God_."

"You're still on board, I hope."

"Gah. Jeez, man. Yeah, yeah. Sure."

"Great! I wasn't kidding when I said I had to call in some serious favors for you. Just don't let me down, Jinx. I have faith that you can do it."

Jinx blushed, unused to such confidence from someone who wasn't Gizmo or Mammoth. It was a bit overwhelming and left her not quite sure how to respond. She fell back into old habits.

"Whatever, I've got it. Don't worry so much, jeez. I hear it gives you wrinkles."

She could almost feel him rolling his eyes over the phone. "I'll draw up the papers for you to sign and drop them off at the Titan headquarters. According to your police files, you should be well aware of the location."

"Hah, yeah. That would be an affirmative, captain."

"And Jinx? Good luck."

"Riiight. See ya, Roger."

-CLICK-

"Giz, you're not going to like this..."


	3. Chapter 3

Gizmo had cursed like a drunken sailor for a solid hour before storming off to bed, but had ultimately decided to follow them to Titan tower the next afternoon without uttering a single word. He was still angry if his stomping and scowling were any indication, but it appeared that Jinx wasn't the only one dissatisfied with how life as a thief was going.

It was a peculiar feeling, strolling up to the T-shaped building, with an appointment and everything. Every fiber of her being screamed, "Run!", to the point where Jinx was almost amazed that she was able to maintain a forward momentum, but she knew she had to be strong. If she faltered then Gizmo for sure would bolt, and she figured Mammoth would be right behind him. It was times like these that made her wish that someone other than her was more suited to lead, but at the same time she knew that you just had to play with the hand you were dealt in life. 'Besides,' she grinned to herself, 'I rather like being in charge.'

As they approached the huge metal doors with no visible doorbell, she motioned for Mammoth to knock. Robin was the one to open the doors, but the rest of the team was right behind him.

"Hiya, guys!"

"Jinx." Robin spat out, apparently not any happier about the arrangement than she was. "I don't know what exactly you're planning, but whatever it is, it won't work."

"Well, considering my plan is locking away all those dirty, filthy, law-breaking types you seem to hate so much, I would think you would _want_ us to succeed."

"The only reason you're here is because we were forced," his frown deepened, "to take on the role of your overseers. Apparently even whoever you tricked into believing you doesn't trust you."

"Or maybe they just got sick of paying you so much to sit around doing nothing. Can't blame 'em for trying to get their money's worth."

"As soon as I figure out what it is you're after, you'll be right back in jail where you belong."

Jinx rolled her eyes, getting sick of this stupid game. "Well, until that happens, why don't you quit your posturing and let us in."

Robin flung the door open with a huff and led them inside. The first room they entered was the living room, several times the size of what passed as the living room in the house where she was currently residing.

"Cruuuud." Gizmo walked trance-like toward the T.V., Mammoth closely in tow, a trail of drool following them both. "This thing is... massive."

"Yep," Cyborg beamed, glad that someone else could appreciate his baby, even if they were the enemy. "127 inches of pure, unadultered awesome. Custom spec'd, built just for us."

"An advance copy of 'Mega Monkeys XIV: God of Monkeys'? How did you...?"

Beast Boy bounded toward them, "That would be mine. One of the perks of being beloved by all." He puffed his chest out, toothy grin in place. "And just as awesome as it looked in the previews, _by the way_."

"But that's supposed to only be available for..." Gizmo squeaked, "GameStation 4?" The shiny console finally caught his eye. "You guys suck. Hardcore suck. That's not supposed to come out for another three months."

Mammoth was busy rifling through the game rack, as taken with the system as Gizmo. "'Super Smash Attack'? 'Weapons of Ultimate Destruction 4: Super Destroy'? 'Fluffy Bunny Bloodstorm'? Is there anything you guys _don't_ got?"

"Well, 'Attack of the Superstrong Space Cretins', but-"

"Hah! I have that one. 'Course, I had to sneak into the developer's studio and steal a beta copy. Totally worth it." Gizmo smirked, glad to one-up them in _something_, at least.

"Dude! I will trade you anything for that. Aaaanyyyythiiiing." Beast Boy fell to his knees and began pleading, giving up any semblance of dignity.

"Hey! Don't drool on the shoes, SnotBoy."

Raven's voice suddenly cut through the conversation. "Guys, we're here for reason. Or are we just cavorting with enemies for fun now?"

Robin nodded. "Raven's right. We have a job to do."

"And by the way, _Raven_," Jinx sneered, "we aren't your enemies anymore. Well, at least not according to the JCPD. We're just plain old civilians now."

"Sure. Civilians. Civilians who just so happen to have spent the last four years stealing, destroying public and private property, breaking into places they don't belong, loitering-"

"Loitering?"

"-and generally being a nuisance. Not to mention whatever you were doing before you came to Jump City."

"So, what, you don't think people can change?"

"If it ever happens, maybe I'll revisit my view on it."

"Looky here, little Miss Emo-"

"Guys! Enough. Let's just get this over with." Robin sensed the situation escalating and tried to cool it down before they ended up in another show down.

After bit more prodding to get the more gamer-oriented of their group to the table, they got down to business.

"District Attorney Scalion said he gave you a run down of the basics: no illegal activity, regular drug testing, being available for missions when needed-"

Gizmo jumped onto the table, teeth barred. "That wasn't ever part of the bargain. This whole crap deal just keeps getting worse!"

"Don't worry," Robin glared, "I don't plan on calling on you any time soon. I'd rather not have someone with me who'd be more likely to shoot me in the back as to protect it."

Jinx slammed both hands onto the table, drawing all attention to herself. "For the last freakin' time, we're _not_ your enemies. We're sure as hell not your friends, but this isn't some stupid scheme. You think any scheme would be worth this humiliation?" She sat back down. "Now, if you want to do your damn job and get us back on our way, let's just get this over with. If you're not going to take it seriously, then forget it. I've got more important things to do, like clipping my toenails or playing solitaire."

Nobody spoke for a few moments, until Cyborg broke the silence, his palms out in a placating gesture. "It's cool, chill. It's just... I mean, can you blame us? We fight you about a hundred times, then suddenly you show up on our doorstep sayin' how you're ready to flip sides. Why the change of heart?"

"Smash without jail."

"Huh?"

"What Mammoth _means_ is we got a little sick of the whole criminal thing. Getting tossed in the slam, having all of our hard-stolen possessions confiscated, _then_ having to break out of the can and find a new hideout... it's a pain."

"You want to become heroes out of... convenience?" Robin raised a brow. Raven crossed her arms and huffed.

"More bounty hunter than hero, really, but... uh... yeah?" Jinx finished lamely.

Gizmo mumbled, "I didn't want to do any of it," before he was cut off by a look from Jinx.

"Can you give us moment?" Robin stated more than asked, then motioned for the other Titans to follow him to the other side of the room.

"Alright guys, what do you think?"

"I dunno, Robin. Jinx seems like she means what she says. Mammoth is most likely to go with whatever he's told to do. And Gizmo is a little punk as usual, but if this was some sorta stunt he'd probably be playing his role a little better." Cyborg shrugged. "I say if they want to start helping put out fires rather than startin' 'em, then who are we to argue?"

"I'm sorta with Cyborg on this one, guys." Beast Boy smiled, somehow managing to show all teeth at once. "I'd take another ally over another enemy any day."

Raven spoke up next, "Allies who admit their only motivation is their own selfish desires? No thanks."

"Hmm... Star?"

"Well, while it is true that they have proven themselves to be very serving of their own selves, is it not also true that they have proven themselves to be resourceful when the need arises?" Starfire furrowed her brow. "While I am unsure of whether they will remain on their current path of righteousness, the thought of more Earth friends is a glorious one indeed, yes?"

"I'm all for helping out someone who really wants to change, but I just don't know. Raven, do you sense anything from them? Any vibe that they're lying."

"How could they_ not_ be lying?"

"So they _are_ lying, then?"

Raven sighed, "No. I don't sense any deceit."

"I admit, I never would have expected this from them, but it's true: I don't want to throw away the chance at acquiring new allies. I don't plan on trusting them any time soon, but I don't want to just give up this opportunity."

Knowing she was outnumbered, Raven relented. "I've made my own feelings clear, but I'll go along with whatever the team decides."

"Alright. It's agreed. For the time being, we'll give them a chance to prove themselves." Seeing Raven's glower, he added, "One slip up, and they're gone. I promise you that."

The three criminals (_FORMER_ criminals, Robin had to remind himself) seemed to be in the middle of their own hushed conversation which died down as soon as the Titans approached.

"Alright, guys... look." Robin turned to each of them in turn, stopping when his eyes fell on Jinx. "Sorry we jumped down your throats earlier. We'll try to be more... understanding. Let's all try to get along here, okay? But _if_ you screw up-"

"You'll_ try_ to take us down. Yeah, yeah."

"Here, take these." Robin handed each of them a communicator. "If you need to reach us, or if we need to reach you, use these." As the three former-H.I.V. examined them, Robin continued.

"And, since we're going to be associates, we're having a barbeque this Saturday. It would be, uh, _great_ if you could make it."

"We'll think about it."

"Great!" Robin repeated, forced smile firmly in place. "Anyways, let's finish up here..."


End file.
